Guatemala Facts.

Important and Interesting Facts about Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, Honduras to the east and El Salvador to the southeast.

Guatemala is the most populous state in Central America.

There are about 1.2 million people that travel to Guatemala every year.

Guatemala’s abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contributes to Mesoamerica’s designation as a biodiversity hotspot.

Despite its small size, it is home to 33 volcanoes

Tikal National Park was the world’s first mixed UNESCO World Heritage. It holds within its border the Mayan ruins of Tikal, which come alive in the evenings with Guatemala animals like the howler monkey.

Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is another prime location to visit. It is a huge lagoon surrounded by 3 conical volcanoes. Guatemalan “Atitlan” means “at the water”, and the interesting fact is that, despite being home to the three volcanoes, it is itself a caldera formed by the explosion of a single volcano 80,000 years previous.

Volcanoes have played a part in the history of Guatemala since its inception. The central highlands sit along the Motagua fault. Pacaya can be seen from the capital, and regularly erupts. Despite this, tours take visitors out onto Pacaya to witness live lava flows.

The highest mountain in Guatemala is the Tajamulco volcano it has an altitude above 4500 meters or 14000 ft.

Monterrico is a bit off the beaten path of Pacific coastal Guatemala. With beautiful black sand, volcanic beaches and far fewer faces than you’ll spot at some other beaches, it’s great for those looking for a true “escape” from reality.

Lake Atitlán was described by Aldous Huxley as the most beautiful lake in the world. Situated in the Guatemalan highlands, the lake is a stunning exhibition of natural splendor.

Chichicastenango often shortened to “Chichi”, is the shopping destination of Guatemala. Located between two and three hours southwest of Guatemala City, ChiChi may be home to the brightest and most vibrant native market in all of the Americas. With a vast array of local fabrics, textiles, clothing, masks, wood-crafted items, pottery and even fireworks, there’s no reason that anyone should leave Chichicastenango Market empty handed.

Cool, Funny, and Fun Facts about Guatemala

Quetzaltenango and the Guatemalan currency “quetzal” are named for the beautiful endangered tropical bird. Ancient Mayans used its tail feathers as currency.

There’s a legend that Mayan babies don’t cry, that they’re all born warriors

Guatemala produces more jade than anywhere in the world, and its importance is visible in the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Guatemala City

Blue denim comes from Guatemala!

Some 5-10 people are killed by falling bullets at Christmastime, when people fire off skyward in celebration

Guatemala is ground zero for chocolate.They invented the first chocolate bar during Mayan Times.

The Mayan culture was rich in mathematical computations they first created the concept of Zero. The concept of zero was foreign to many advanced cultures in mathematics. Many archeologist think that ancient cultures shared a common mathematical teacher and are still unsure where they get it.

Guatemala has the second-highest concentration of ozone in the world, according to The Economist World in 2007.

The native indigenous have a statue they worship called Mashimom, he is little guy with a mostage dressed in a suit who wears hat. The locals give him cigars and booze so he will bless them.

About 60% of the population does not know how to read or write

Instant coffee was discovered by a Guatemalan

Historical and Cultural Facts about Guatemala

The history of Guatemala began with the arrival of human settlers c. 18,000-11,000 BC.The Mayan civilization (2,000 BC – 250 AD) was among those that flourished in the region, with little contact with cultures outside Mesoamerica.

Obsidian projectile points are the earliest evidence of human inhabitants in Guatemala, dating as far back as 18,000 BC.

Once the site of the impressive ancient Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524 and became a republic in 1839 after the United Provinces of Central America collapsed. From 1898 to 1920, dictator Manuel Estrada Cabrera ran the country, and from 1931 to 1944, Gen. Jorge Ubico Castaneda served as strongman.

Much of Guatemala’s history has been marked by violence. For 36 years, the country was embattled in a civil war that took the lives of more than 200,000 people. The war brought about mass murders and resulted in millions of people being run off of their land. Guatemala’s civil war ended in December 1996, but the war scars still remain. Violence and intimidation are major problems in private life and in politics too

The cuisine in Guatemala often times includes corn, chilis, and beans. Tamales are popular with hundreds of different varieties, some of the more popular ones are Colorados, Negros, Tamales de Elote, Chuchitos, Tamalitos de Masa, Paches, and others.

Greetings and farewells call for handshakes, arm or shoulder patting, embraces, and even cheek kissing, almost from first acquaintance. Men embrace and cheek kiss women friends of the family, and embrace but do not kiss each other. Children are taught to kiss all adult relatives and close acquaintances of their parents hello and goodbye.

Many of the indigenous people believe in spirits of nature, especially of specific caves, mountains, and bodies of water, and their religious leaders regularly perform ceremonies connected with these sites. The Catholic Church has generally been more lenient in allowing or ignoring dual allegiances than have Protestants, who tend to insist on strict adherence to doctrine and an abandonment of all “non-Christian” beliefs and practices, including Catholicism.

Music has been important in Guatemala since colonial times, when the Catholic Church used it to teach Christian doctrine. Both the doctrine and the musical styles were adopted at an early date. The work of Maya who composed European-style classical music in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has been revived and is performed by several local performance groups, some using replicas of early instruments.

Guatemalan customs are also largely influenced by the predominant Roman Catholic Church. Much like in Spain, Guatemalan people celebrate Christmas, Advent, Three Kings and Easter as the most important holidays of the year. Additionally, each village and town honors their respective patron saints and other local events annually. Food also plays an important role in most Guatemalan celebrations.

Dance also forms the very part of Guatemala Culture and the traditional dances outshine the common dance forms. The Mayan religious festival are the perfect place to watch the Guatemala dance forms.

The majority of Guatemala is Catholic although the ‘flavors’ of Catholicism vary from one region to another. This is largely because of the Mayan religious influence as early Catholic priests tried to supplant Mayan religious rites with Catholic in an effort to convert the Maya. The result was a mixed religion–Catholicism with a Mayan flare. For example, in a Catholic cathedral in the western highlands, the locals sacrifice chickens (a Mayan rite) as offerings.